Gurugram breathes good air for third consecutive day; rain expected on Monday

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Chandigarh issued a yellow alert for Monday predicting heavy rain in some places accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning

Gurugram witnessed overcast skies on Sunday morning with light rain and drizzle reported from most parts of the city. Intense rain on Saturday night caused heavy waterlogging at Dharuhera on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway where commuters struggled to cross the stretch due to congestion.

Sustained rain on Saturday and Sunday, along with gusty winds of speeds up to 24miles/hour, helped in the dissipation of pollutants and air quality remained good for the third consecutive day on Sunday . (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Heavy waterlogging was also reported by locals from the road opposite Bestech Mall on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway and Sector 6. A traffic jam was caused on the carriageway going towards, which extended till Kapdiwas and beyond. However, relatively less rain on Sunday helped in clearing water from Narsinghpur and other critical areas, officials said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Chandigarh issued a yellow alert for Monday predicting heavy rain in some places accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning. The city reported 1 mm of rain from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Sunday, and 98 mm of rain in the 32 hours preceding Sunday evening, IMD data revealed. Heavy rain with thunderstorms can be expected in south Haryana and Gurugram on Monday but clouds are likely to recede from Tuesday. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 23.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday, with a minimum of 21 degrees, the IMD said.

Sustained rain on Saturday and Sunday, along with gusty winds of speeds up to 24miles/hour, helped in the dissipation of pollutants and air quality remained good for the third consecutive day on Sunday according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.The city recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 32 on Sunday.

“The city is presently witnessing clean air made possible by sustained rain and high wind speeds. The air quality will start dipping once the rain gets over and colder rain from the hills starts coming in. Stubble burning in Punjab, which has stopped due to rain, will resume soon and majorly impact the AQI. We must prepare for an increase in pollution levels after October 15,” Sachin Panwar, city-based air quality expert, said.

The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) on Sunday said, “Peak wind speeds are likely to remain between 12-24 km/h over the next three days, causing moderate dispersion. The AQI is likely to remain ‘good’ due to expected rains in Delhi NCR.”